Ohio State deemed most valuable college football program: Buckeyes news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State deemed most valuable college football program: Buckeyes news
cleveland.com
Ryan Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus, comes out with these numbers each year. The Buckeyes have been on top in his analysis for a while, but this is a huge jump for the Buckeyes, who led the ...
Wall Street Journal Reveals The Most Valuable College Football TeamThe Daily Caller

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I Got Five on it: Ohio State finally treats itself to a cupcake
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


And thankfully, UNLV won’t have the ball for 40 minutes.

Welcome to I Got Five on it, the weekly Ohio State column where I give you five things to watch for on Saturday, but mostly just expose you to my awful Photoshop skills.

Ohio State had their best performance of the season last week, blowing out Army 38-7 thanks to the offense’s most efficient game in over two years, a rebound performance from the defense, and J.K. Dobbins’ refusal to give a damn about the troops’ ankles:


Expect more of the same this week, as UNLV brings its pastry-ass defense to Columbus, in what looks like a likely blowout win for the Buckeyes.

Aside from having the coolest field design in the country, you probably recognize UNLV as the team that loss to Howard as a 45-point favorite in Week 1, in what is now the biggest point spread upset in college football history. The Rebels rebounded as well as one can hope for after losing to a Mike London-coached team, by beating Idaho 44-16, then resting last week on their bye

You know how some teams are more than the sum of their parts? The Rebels are the opposite. There are some fun individual pieces— like the super high upside of freshman quarterback Armani Rogers, and explosive-as-hell running back Lexington Thomas— but the total roster isn’t exactly put together just yet, and the defense is a little too soft in the middle. Think of UNLV as a cupcake: the frosting and sprinkles are great, but the foundation could use a bit more time in the oven to bake.

With my horrible dessert metaphors out of the way, here are five things to watch for tomorrow as Ohio State eats plays UNLV:

UNLV won’t have the ball for 40 minutes


If you’ve ever wondered what football hell looks like, Army had you covered last week:



The Black Knights’ 18 play, 99-yard touchdown drive took damn near 10 minutes off the clock, made quite a few people mad online, and was probably the main reason Ohio State didn’t score 50 points. (Memo to the Athletic Department: SCHEDULING SERVICE ACADEMIES IS BAD. ALWAYS BAD). Thankfully, UNLV prefers to play a bit faster.

The national average for possessions per game this season is just over 13, so expect the Buckeyes to make the most out of the extra three or four times they get the ball against a much worse defense than they faced last week. The Rebels are going to have their moments on offense —we’ll get to that later— but their desire to move quickly may result in ample chances for the Buckeyes to cause three and outs and put up big points.

All J.K. Dobbins all the time


LEAKED: KEVIN WILSON’S FIRST HALF PLAY SHEET

Nothing more needs to be said.

RPO’s everywhere


When not handing the ball off to Dobbins, it’s likely that Ohio State sticks to the run/pass options they used to great success against Army. These RPO’s are good for a number of reasons:

• They keep the defense off balance with the threat of a run or pass.
• Ohio State’s athletic receivers can get the ball quickly, and use their speed in the open field.
• They force the defense to cheat up, eventually exposing them to the deep ball (hopefully).
• They allow J.T. Barrett to make quicker reads.

The use of these run/pass options helped Ohio State to its most efficient game since 2014, and for the first time in a while, gave the offense an actual identity outside of the running game.

It’s worth keeping an eye on how committed the coaching staff is to these RPO concepts. If they don’t have success early, will they move away to something else, or stick with it for a full game? Barrett and the rest of the offense found a groove as last week’s game went on, and a second straight solid performance for the passing game will bode well once conference play comes around.

Slowing down the Runnin’ Rebels


For as many problems as UNLV has across the board, its run game is legit. The Rebels rank second nationally in rushing success rate, rarely go backwards (fourth in stuff rate), and the big runs are BIG (10th in IsoPPP). For as scary as Army’s triple option is, this group presents an even bigger challenge for Ohio State from a talent perspective.

Lexington Thomas is the foundation of the Rebels offense. The junior running back is gashing opponents so far this season, averaging a healthy nine yards per carry, and consistently breaking off big runs, like these two touchdowns against Idaho a couple weeks ago:



Limiting Thomas is priority number one for the Buckeyes, but he’s not the only threat. Freshman quarterback Armani Rogers is raw, but has the size (6’5”, 225) and early numbers (173 yards and 7.3 yards per carry), that would indicate the preseason talk of his potential as a dual-threat has some merit to it. Thomas and Rogers give UNLV a more-than solid one-two punch they can use to attack the defense through zone reads, speed options, and their own RPO’s.

It will be interesting to see how Ohio State’s run defense holds up, and what kind of havoc the front seven can cause against an offensive line that hasn’t been beaten much this season. UNLV isn’t a very good team overall, but how the Buckeyes perform against this group is going to be a very good indicator of where they stand going forward.

Can the kick coverage improve?


After a great start to the season against Indiana, Ohio State’s whole kickoff unit has been less than stellar since, culminating last week with a kick out of bounds to start second half, and then whatever this was:



The usually successful strategy of kicking short to the left, and letting a host of former four and five star recruits eat hasn’t been effective lately. Oklahoma and Army were both able to generate solid return yards and gain field position advantages that have almost always favored Ohio State.

Since they’ll probably be kicking off a lot tomorrow, it’s worth watching them cover, and whether the last two weeks were just a small sample, or if there’s a bigger problem that’s costing them hidden yardage.

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Which teams have the best non-draft-eligible talent? - ESPN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Which teams have the best non-draft-eligible talent?
ESPN
Rashan Gary is a key part of Michigan's deep and youthful roster. Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire. Facebook · Twitter · Facebook Messenger · Email; comment. 7:50 AM PT. Rivers McCownSpecial to ESPN.com. Close. Contributor to FootballOutsiders.com.


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Ohio State football removes black stripes from four more freshmen: Buckeyes news - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football removes black stripes from four more freshmen: Buckeyes news
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four more Ohio State freshmen had their black stripes removed this week, as they established themselves as true Buckeyes in the eyes of their coaches. To see all 20 players who have had their black stripes removed, check our black ...

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I did not want him either and this is not sour grapes Surprised he did not go to Davidson

A short history of Ohio State trouncing the Mountain West
J_baird via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes have a good record against MWC schools, and UNLV is next.

Picture the moment. You're the coach at UNLV. And the athletic director tells you she just made a deal. The best deal. Your program is now set to earn $1.3 million guaranteed for a single game. One game. You, being the smart coach that you are, understand that that is the largest single payout for a game in UNLV's near five decades of football. Nice. The catch — you're headed to the Horseshoe.

Now, three years later, the game is here — and UNLV sits before the executioner as a 40-point underdog. No one gives the Rebels a chance. Should they? History says no.

The Mountain West has been playing tackle football since 1999. And Ohio State has made decisive work of near every team it has faced among the current roster of Mountain West programs, notching a 9-1 record (including a perfect 5-0 record since 1999). Here is that short (and bloody) history.

Air Force (Air Force Leads Series 1-0)


If you're a 17-point underdog playing Ohio State, when would you have the best odds of pulling off an upset? Well, if you ran into John Cooper in a bowl game — you had as good of a shot as anyone. The Falcons did just that in a 23-11 upset win in the 1990 Liberty Bowl, running the ball for 254 yards, while bottling up OSU's Robert Smith. The win by the Falcons, who were then in the WAC, was Cooper's second straight bowl loss. He would finish with a 3-8 bowl record as Buckeye head coach (a mark outshined only in notoriety by a dreadful 2-10-1 record against Michigan).

Fresno State (Ohio State Leads Series: 2-0)


Ohio State first met Fresno State in the 1994 Pigskin Classic in Anaheim. It was there that Eddie George and Joey Galloway each accounted for two scores, as the Buckeyes rolled to a 34-10 victory to open the season. OSU again opened on a winning note against the Bulldogs in 2000. Under a Michael Doss led defense, the Buckeyes scored a school record four defensive touchdowns in route to a 43-10 victory.

Hawaii (Ohio State Leads Series: 1-0)


Ezekiel Elliott ran for a regular season high three touchdowns as the Buckeyes blanked the Rainbow Warriors 38-0 in 2015.

San Diego State (Ohio State Leads Series: 4-0)


The Mountain West team that has met Ohio State the most, has suffered the worst. Jim Tressel took down the Aztecs three times, and Urban Meyer added another victory for good measure. In the 2013 matchup, the Buckeyes walked out with a 42-7 victory as backup quarterback Kenny Guiton stepped in after Braxton Miller went down with a knee injury. Guiton would pass for two touchdowns against the Aztecs and go on to pass for another 10 during the next two games with Miller out. No stranger to stepping up when it counted, Guiton set a school record for the most passing touchdowns in a single game against Florida A&M (he passed for all six in the first half).

San Jose State (Ohio State Leads Series: 1-0)


Taking a rare break from the Big 10 schedule in mid-October, running back Maurice Clarett and quarterback Craig Krenzel each racked up three touchdowns downing San Jose State 50-7. With the victory, the eventual National Champion Buckeyes improved to 7-0.

Wyoming (Ohio State Leads Series 1-0)


The defending Rose Bowl champion Buckeyes defeated Wyoming 24-10 in the season-opening Eddie Robinson Classic in 1997. The first non-sellout in six years in The ‘Shoe saw Stanley Jackson dazzle, Joe Germaine struggle and sophomore tailback Michael Wiley outshine senior Pepe Pearson.

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Big Ten Power Rankings going into Week 4
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Penn State leads the pack, as Nebraska still has the good ol’ days to fall back on.

We have finished three weeks of the college football season. After this week, we will have completed about 30 percent of the regular season.

[sobs quietly]

So, with that in mind, it’s time we start looking at power rankings for the Big Ten. We’ve seen enough of each team, and they’ve had chances to iron out the kinks on the gridiron.

Let’s take a look at how these rankings look going into Week 4. You agree with the list? You hate the list? Sound off in the comments section.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions


Penn State is off to a hot-start. First, they are ranked in the AP Poll Top 25, and come in as the highest ranked Big Ten school at No. 4.

This season, the Nittany Lions have laid waste to Akron, Pittsburgh and Georgia Southern. Even though James Franklin’s bunch spent two weeks of their non-conference schedule at the cupcake stand, they get a wake-up call against Iowa this Saturday.

Last season’s meeting between the two schools took place at Beaver Stadium, and the Nittany Lion faithful witnessed a complete dragging of the Hawkeyes. Penn State held Iowa to just 30 yards rushing, and won the game, 41-14. Once again, quarterback Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley lead the offense, however, this time around they are on the road against an undefeated Kirk Ferentz-coached Hawkeye program. Night games in Iowa City can go awry, and this one will prove whether or not Penn State is the real deal.

This week, Penn State plays: Iowa at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC

2. Ohio State Buckeyes


While the Buckeyes don’t really have a pass defense, they’ll get tested—to a degree—by Devonte Boyd of the UNLV Rebels. Dobbs is leading the Mountain West in receiving yards, and will be a good test for this young OSU secondary.

Urban Meyer’s got the team to a 2-1 start, and even though Baker Mayfield rolled into Columbus and attempted to plant a flag inside The Horseshoe, the Bucks bounced back and beat an Army team that operated with the triple-option offense, 38-7, a week later.

For now, the Scarlet and Gray are No. 2 on the list. But, if they struggle with UNLV, who lost at home to Howard in Week 1, then the Buckeyes will slide to the left, slide to the right, and slide right on down the power rankings.

This week, Ohio State plays: UNLV at noon ET on BTN

3. Michigan Wolverines


Like last season, the Wolverines are in third place behind Penn State and Ohio State.

Is this a homer poll? I can’t confirm nor deny that. What I can confirm, though, is that Michigan has a chance to overtake the Buckeyes with a big win this week.

The Wolverines have captured 46 of their last 49 conference openers. However, this one is a tad trickier, as they have to go into the storm drain West Lafayette, Ind., to take on Purdue.

Ross-Ade stadium is a place where the upset lives. If Jim Harbaugh can coach his team to a blowout win (and quarterback Wilton Speight can limit the interceptions while throwing touchdowns) then Michigan deserves to leap OSU in next week’s rankings.

This week, Michigan plays: Purdue at 4 p.m. on Fox

4. Wisconsin Badgers


Bye week is here for the Badgers; at the break, the defending West Division champs are 3-0.

A strong win against BYU on the road increases their stock, however, that same Cougars team was completely shutdown by LSU a few weeks back. Jury is still out on how good this team really is, but if the trend of big wins continue, you might as well start shipping the ‘West Division Champs 2017’ shirts around Madison, Wis.

This week, Wisconsin plays: Bye Week

5. Iowa Hawkeyes


Nate Stanley’s 10 passing touchdowns over the three-game stretch is the most since Chuck Hartlieb did it in 1987. This week, Iowa is gonna need Stanley to toss some six-point passes, as the Nittany Lions aren’t a team to fool around with.

While Iowa is 3-0, they really haven’t been tested by top-shelf opponents. In Week 1, they beat Wyoming by 21; in Week 2, the Hawkeyes downed Iowa State in overtime by three; last week against North Texas, it was a 17-point victory for Ferentz’s program.

Recent history is on the Hawkeyes’ side for the Saturday contest. Iowa has won their last five Big Ten openers and their last four night games at Kinnick Stadium.

This week, Iowa plays: Penn State at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC

6. Purdue Boilermakers


I for one, am on this Purdue bandwagon. After giving Louisville their all in Week 1, the Boilermakers turned right around and laid the smackdown on Ohio and Missouri.

Amongst Big Ten schools, Purdue has scored the fourth most points (107) and has the third most passing yards at 860. However, they go up against a Michigan team that has the second best pass defense in the conference. Do the Boilermakers choo-choo their way to a win at home? If they do, then they have a ticket up the Big Ten power rankings.

This week, Purdue plays: Michigan at 4 p.m. on Fox

7. Michigan State Spartans


This is the week Michigan State proves if they are back or not. Fresh off a bye week, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to East Lansing, Mich. for a primetime showdown.

The Spartans have, so far, the best pass and total defense amongst Big Ten schools. On top of that, an offensive touchdown hasn’t been allowed through the first two games of the season.

For football fans, the A-team of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft will be calling the game. (And you know if Gus is on the call, things are about to go wild).

This week, Michigan State plays: Notre Dame at 8 p.m. ET on Fox

8. Maryland Terrapins


I may get flack for this one, since I’m from Maryland, but the Terps are in the bottom half of the rankings because, well, I can’t really gauge if this team is for real or not.

Yes, the same could be said for Purdue—the Boilermakers held close to Louisville, who later got dunked on by Clemson on national television—but the squad from College Park, Md. has one of the worst pass defenses in the Big Ten through the first few weeks of the season, and struggles in converting on third down.

They have UCF, who dropped 61 in a game this season, on the slate. If the Terrapins secondary gets reduced to swiss cheese, then they’ll stay down here in the rankings. If they lockdown on the pass and can keep drives alive, then they are building a case for a move up.

This week, Maryland plays: UCF at 3 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers


P.J. Fleck has rowed his boat to a 3-0 start at Minnesota. Not much more to report than to say that the boat is definitely being rowed in Minneapolis.

This week, Minnesota plays: Bye Week

10. Indiana Hoosiers


After last week’s game with Florida International was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma, the Hoosiers are back in action against Georgia Southern—who played the role of Cupcake #2 in Penn State’s season.

Tom Allen got his first win of his head coaching career against Virginia in Week 2, and shouldn’t have a problem getting win #2 against GSU. However, this game will be a litmus test; the Nittany Lions defeated the Eagles, 56-0. Penn State will meet Indiana next week in University Park, Penn., so, whatever issues Indiana has at the passing game need to be solved against Georgia Southern.

This week, Indiana plays: Georgia Southern at 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN.

12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights


After beating Morgan State, 65-0, Rutgers looks to get their first win against Nebraska. It’ll be a challenge, as they won’t be in New Brunswick, N.J. for this one.

Chris Ash has had his work cut out for him since he took over for the Scarlet Knights, but a win here could be the turning point. Already this season, Rutgers gave the Washington Huskies a fight. This team is a tad better than last season—but there is still work to be done.

This week, Rutgers plays: Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN.

13. Illinois Fighting Illini


Ball State lost to the Illini by three, and the South Florida Bulls committed 16 penalties before defeating the team from Champaign, Ill., 47-23.

That’s two rough games for the Lovie Smith coaches squad, and there’s still another game left in the month. Maybe they’ll sort it out this week, as the Illini are on the bye.

This week, Illinois plays: Bye Week

14. Nebraska Cornhuskers


It’s be a no good, terrible, bad seven-day stretch for Nebraska. Last Saturday, they lost at home to Northern Illinois, 21-17. On Thursday, the Cornhuskers said adios to athletic director Shawn Eichorst.

Rutgers is on the slate this week and it’s back at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. A loss here, and it may be adios to head coach Mike Riley.

On the bright side: The Cornhuskers will always have that national title they won in 1997.

This week, Nebraska plays: Rutgers at 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN.

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JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield
ESPN (blog)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The defenders tasked with stopping No. 10 Ohio State might soon be seeing double when they look into the Buckeyes' backfield. Freshman sensation J.K. Dobbins' 425 rushing yards through three weeks have already made it clear he's ...
Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' top-ranked recruiting classLandof10.com
Kurelic: Buckeyes raiding Tennessee; O-tackle commitment watch?247Sports
Will Tate Martell ever be Ohio State's starting QB, and avoid being a 'one-hit wonder'? Buckeyes 2020cleveland.com
The Columbus Dispatch -Factory Of Sadness -13abc Action News
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Ohio State, Texas Lead Way in College Football's Most Valuable Programs - Monday Morning Quarterback
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State, Texas Lead Way in College Football's Most Valuable Programs
Monday Morning Quarterback
A Wall Street Journal study valued Ohio State football at more than $1.5 billion, with Texas and Oklahoma also reaching the $1 billion mark. Tags. ohio state football · texas football · oklahoma football · wall street journal · buckeyes · Longhorns ...


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JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


JK Dobbins has Buckeyes thinking about new looks in the backfield
ESPN (blog)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The defenders tasked with stopping No. 10 Ohio State might soon be seeing double when they look into the Buckeyes' backfield. Freshman sensation J.K. Dobbins' 425 rushing yards through three weeks have already made it clear he's ...


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Ohio State vs. UNLV: Game preview, prediction, and 6 things to know
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes have one last non-conference game left before they jump back into Big Ten play

Following their loss to Oklahoma, Ohio State started to put the pieces back together last week, beating Army 38-7. In the grand scheme of things, the win doesn’t mean too much for Ohio State, aside from helping the Buckeyes restore some confidence as they get close to jumping back into Big Ten play.

Now Ohio State will take on UNLV for the first time in school history. Much like last week, the Buckeyes shouldn’t face too tough of a test from the Rebels, as evidenced by Ohio State being installed as a 40-point favorite for Saturday afternoon’s game. While this is the first matchup between Ohio State and UNLV, this isn’t the first time Ohio State has played a current member of the Mountain West Conference, with the last game against a MWC foe coming in 2015, when Ohio State shutout Hawaii 38-0 in Columbus.

Even with last week’s convincing win over Army, Ohio State still dropped a couple spots in the AP Top 25 poll. Despite falling to 10th in the poll, this marks the 42nd straight week in which Ohio State has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll. As long as Ohio state doesn’t struggle mightily against UNLV, they have an excellent shot at extending the streak to 43 weeks.

Saturday’s game against UNLV will mark the end of Ohio State’s non-conference schedule, with the Buckeyes traveling to Rutgers next Saturday to play their second conference game of the season. While there still are issues on both sides of the football for the Buckeyes, Ohio State has a friendly schedule which should allow them to iron those problems out before a showdown at the end of next month with Penn State in Columbus.

UNLV had quite a dubious start to the season, becoming the biggest favorite to lose in college football history, falling at home as a 45-point favorite to Howard. At least Tony Sanchez and the Rebels were able to put the loss behind them quickly, beating Idaho 44-16, which gave UNLV their first win on the road against a non-conference opponent since 2008.

Statistically UNLV has one of the better offenses in the country, but the Rebels haven’t had to face an opponent anywhere close to Ohio State’s caliber so far this season. UNLV is averaging 557 yards per game so far this year, which ranks eighth among FBS schools.

UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez does have some familiarity with a couple Ohio State players, but those Buckeyes aren’t likely to see the field on Saturday. After the 2014 season Robbins was hired as UNLV’s head coach after spending the previous six seasons as head coach at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Quarterback Tate Martell and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett both were a part of Bishop Gorman’s 2014 team, and currently are freshman with the Buckeyes. Even though the two won’t see the field on Saturday, at least they’ll probably get a chance to see a familiar face after the game.

Ohio State’s biggest advantages


Steady Dobbins diet. J.K. Dobbins garnered a lot of hype when he arrived at Ohio State, but after Mike Weber rushed for 1,000 yards last year as a redshirt freshman, many Buckeye fans weren’t expecting Dobbins to make such a big impact so early in Columbus. Last week Dobbins rushed for 172 yards on just 13 carries, and for the second time was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Through three games, Dobbins has rushed for 425 yards, which puts him just behind the 471 yards Maurice Clarett rushed for in his first three games for the best rushing start by a freshman in school history. Dobbins should be able to pad his stats even more this week against a UNLV defense that is allowing 213 yards per game on the ground, and gave up 309 yards rushing to Howard.

The Ohio State true freshman will likely get his work in against the Running Rebels, more important for the Buckeyes this week on the ground could be trying to get Weber more carries. If the Ohio State offense wants to succeed the rest of the season, they’ll need both Dobbins and Weber at the top of their game. After getting 182 carries as a true freshman last year, Weber has only seen seven carries in the two games he has been active for this season. When combining the power of Weber in the running game with the elusiveness and speed of Dobbins, Ohio State’s offense becomes even tougher to slow down than it has been at times this year.

Moving up the ranks. J.T. Barrett has already gotten plenty of criticism this year for his play, especially during the Oklahoma game, but he is working his way through the Big Ten and Ohio State record books. Last week Barrett’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Austin Mack in the fourth quarter broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record of 106 total touchdowns responsible for.

Now Barrett has a chance to move up to second among Ohio State quarterbacks in career passing yards. Barrett is currently 95 passing yards from moving ahead of Bobby Hoying, who threw for 7,232 yards during his Ohio State career. It shouldn’t be very long after until Barrett moving into the top spot on Ohio State’s all-time passing list, as Art Schlichter threw for 7,547 yards during his career.

Barrett should be able to load the stat sheet this week against UNLV. Last week Barrett and the Ohio State offense found success with more run-pass-option plays. Earlier in the year the Buckeyes were trying to force the football deep, where last week short passing helped the Buckeyes to sustain some drives. Utilizing the run-pass-option can also help Ohio State to create some tempo, which will keep defenses on their heels. Saturday’s game against UNLV should allow for Barrett and the rest of the offense to become a little more comfortable with the shift in offensive philosophy.

Bye, bye triple-option. After having to deal with Army’s triple-option attack last week, Ohio State has to be elated that they are playing a team with a normal offense. UNLV’s spread offense is at least something Ohio State sees on a more regular basis. Now the Buckeyes just have to hope they don’t have a delay on the field in reverting away from trying to defend the triple-option. The last time Ohio State played a triple-option offense, they struggled the next time out and ended up losing to Virginia Tech.

Not only did Ohio State’s defensive line not get the benefit of rushing the quarterback last week, they had to endure the cut blocks that come with trying to defend a triple-option team. Defensive ends Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, and the rest of the Ohio State defensive line have to be itching to tee off on a quarterback.

Sophomore defensive end Nick Bosa has already stated that he thinks Ohio State is going to shutout UNLV this week. While that might be asking a little much since UNLV’s offense isn’t chopped liver, it wouldn’t be a surprise for it to happen either. One way for the defense to gain some more confidence for the secondary is to create a lot of heat on the quarterback, forcing some bad throws. At least Ohio State will be trying to backup the talk from Bosa, which should create plenty of big plays on defense.

UNLV’s biggest advantages


Back to the “Runnin’” Rebels. It’s hard to call UNLV’s rushing offense an advantage when it has to get past Ohio State’s front-seven on defense, but the Rebels at least pose a threat to break some big runs. UNLV is currently fourth in the country in rushing, averaging 350 yards per game on the ground.

Tony Sanchez’s team will bring a different kind of running attack to Saturday’s game than Army did last week, which could actually help the Rebels. It usually takes teams a little time to adjust back to their regular defense after having to face a triple-option team. In 2014 Ohio State opened the season with Navy, and after defeating the Midshipmen, the Buckeyes couldn’t stop Virginia Tech in their next game.

UNLV going to upset Ohio State like Virginia Tech did in 2014, but running back Lexington Thomas at least has the ability to make some plays on the ground for UNLV. After rushing for 642 yards and eight touchdowns last year, the junior from Houston already has 341 yards and five rushing touchdowns this year, with 190 yards and three of those touchdowns coming in the win over Idaho.

Thomas isn’t the only one who can make things happen on the ground for UNLV, as redshirt freshman quarterback Armani Rogers has the ability to make plays with his legs when needed. Rogers has rushed for at least 80 yards in each of UNLV’s first two games this year. Ohio State’s defense can’t afford to let Thomas or Rogers find any holes on the ground or this game could be closer than many of the experts are expecting it to be.

Air travel. It hasn’t been too hard to figure out how to move the football on Ohio State so far this year. Through the air. Prior to last week’s game against Army, Ohio State was ranked dead last among FBS in pass defense. Luckily for the Buckeyes they got a little bit of a breather to rest their much maligned secondary, as Army’s triple-option offense only saw them throw the football eight times for 19 yards. The passing output by the Black Knights was the lowest for an opponent against the Buckeyes since the 1990 Holiday Bowl, where Air Force only threw for 11 yards.

Heading into this week’s contest against UNLV, Ohio State has moved up to 102nd amongst FBS teams against the pass, but they’ll have a little bit more work to do against the Rebels than they did against Army. Even though UNLV does prefer to run the football, they can mix in the pass to keep defenses on their toes. Through two games, Armani Rogers has thrown for 413 and two touchdowns,

Ohio State can’t sleep on senior Devonte Boyd, who is one of the best wide receivers in UNLV history. The Nevada native has recorded at least 700 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons with the Rebels, and has hauled in six catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns this year. In both of UNLV’s games this year Boyd has gone for accounted for over 100 yards receiving, giving him 13 games in his career where he has surpassed the 100-yard mark.

Nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting UNLV to walk out of Ohio Stadium with a win, or really for the game to even be close, so what do the Rebels have to lose? UNLV already experienced what will probably be their most embarrassing moment of the season, when they lost as such a huge favorite to Howard to open up the season. Now the Rebels come to Columbus as nearly six touchdown underdogs, so it isn’t like there will be any pressure on Tony Sanchez’s team.

With UNLV being able to play loose with no pressure on them, maybe they force the Buckeyes into some mistakes which help keep the score closer then some are expecting. At least the trip to Columbus to play the Buckeyes will give UNLV some experience against one of the nation’s top ranked teams before the Rebels start play in the Mountain West Conference.

With some of the youth on this UNLV team, as long as they don’t suffer any major injuries, even a loss to Ohio State can have some positives. UNLV hasn’t made a bowl game since 2013, and Tony Sanchez is just 8-18 in his third season with the Rebels. If UNLV can play the Buckeyes to a closer result than many are expecting, it could be the spark the Rebels need to play the rest of their nine games of the regular season with confidence, and possibly put themselves in contention to return to a bowl game.

Summary


F/+ Projection: Ohio State 49, UNLV 14

Win Probability: Ohio State 98.1%

If Saturday’s game against UNLV isn’t an easy win for the Buckeyes, then something probably went terribly wrong. Even though the Rebels do have some pieces of offense, it can’t be forgotten they still lost to Howard to open up the season as a 45-point favorite. It still remains to be seen if former high school football coach Tony Sanchez is over his head at UNLV, but he is definitely in over his head against Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

How to watch, stream, listen to UNLV v. Ohio State:


Game time: Saturday September 23rd, 12:00 PM ET

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: BTN2Go

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

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Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' top-ranked recruiting class - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State recruiting: Latest updates on Buckeyes' top-ranked recruiting class
Landof10.com
After months on top of the national recruiting rankings, Ohio State finds itself coming to a bit of a crossroads on the football recruiting trail. With 18 commitments, the Buckeyes are looking to add between 5-7 more of the country's best 2018 ...
Kurelic: Buckeyes raiding Tennessee; O-tackle commitment watch?247Sports
Ohio State football | Buckeyes might run with Dobbins, Weber in two-back setThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio city changes Halloween because of Buckeyes' game13abc Action News
cleveland.com -Factory Of Sadness -MyDaytonDailyNews
all 92 news articles »

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TDunk said:

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I can't stop watching

Top California LB hints at Ohio State lean during Army All-American shoot
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Solomon Tuliaupupu's dad, at least, looks like a big Buckeye fan.

Tomorrow is already the Buckeyes' fourth football game of the season. As UNLV comes to town, Ohio State and its staff will look to the game as another opportunity to develop the offense and do their best to shore up not only the pass game, but the pass defense as well. With this season being somewhat of a crossroads ever since the Oklahoma loss, Ohio State and its fans need to get back to what they do best: winning, and winning with style. In any time of development there are certain to be some negatives that arise, but fortunately for Ohio State recruiting, positives continue to outweigh any sign of them.

Sure, that'll do


Ohio State is a powerhouse when it comes to landing high-profile linebackers in its recruiting classes. It seems like every cycle, the Buckeyes are in for multiple top linebackers regardless of their geographic location. For instance, in the current 2018 class, Ohio State already has a more than solid commitment from Virginia's Teradja Mitchell, the second-ranked inside linebacker in the country for 2018. However, the old saying is true: two really is better than one, and the Ohio State staff would certainly love to add another top linebacker into the fold for this current class.

Enter Solomon Tuliaupupu (Santa Ana, California/Mater Dei), the nation's third-best inside linebacker, and you have exactly who the Buckeyes would love to complement their other stud 2018 LB. Yesterday, Solomon received his U.S. Army All-American jersey to cement his place not only on the squad, but as one of the few who receive the incredible honor as an Army All-American prep football player. A ceremony that needs no introduction, his family was able to take the stage with him, and that's where things start to get interesting.


While receiving his official jersey, Solomon's father had people taking notice as he was donning the Scarlet and Gray. He is thought to be a clear USC lean due to his relationships with the staff and the short distance to Trojan country. However, the sole other school receiving any votes on the 247sports crystal ball ranking is Ohio State. With over 30 offers, Tuliaupupu may be down to two schools. If the Buckeyes have a real chance, they will certainly find out when Solomon makes his next visit, the first since April. On a positive note, the Buckeyes may have dad in the fold. Could the son be next?

He's not going anywhere, folks


In keeping with the trend, another U.S. Army All-American jersey was presented yesterday to current Ohio State 2018 commit Josh Proctor of Owasso, Oklahoma. The 4-star safety is currently ranked as the ninth-best safety in the country and the third-best player in the entire state of Oklahoma, showing exactly why he has nearly 15 offers from the best programs in the country.


Being from Oklahoma however, there's sure to be a bit of scrutiny Proctor is going to take since he plans to leave his home state for Ohio and a school his home team just beat. But despite the close to home factor and any momentum the Sooners thought they would have with Proctor, he put that to rest yesterday as he stated once again he's "100% committed to Ohio State." The Buckeyes have to love the sound of this victory over the Sooners as they hope Josh is the next defensive back to come to Ohio State and leave not only with Ohio State in his heart, but with the NFL Draft in sight as the next great Buckeye defender.

50/50 chance?


The Buckeye basketball program had seen a little bit of adversity over the last few weeks after losing commits to their current recruiting class. However, enter the start of this week, and in back to back days Ohio State landed two commits for their current class—and more may be on the rise.

Yesterday, we learned that Ohio State could continue to see good news in their direction when Luther Muhammad came up. The 6'4, 185-pound shooting guard currently checks in as the nation's 14th-best shooting guard and the fifth-best prospect at any position in the talent-rich state of New Jersey. Easily deserving of his high 4-star ranking, Muhammad looks to be down to two final schools before he gives his pledge.


Per his high school coach at Hudson Catholic, Muhammad will be deciding between Ohio State and Xavier. For Holtmann and the Buckeyes, they're hoping he decides to head to Central Ohio rather than Cincinnati. If so, that would make three commits for the 2018 class and have the Buckeyes feeling very good about where they sit. This past week Holtmann was able to see Muhammad and hopefully it paid off. We should know relatively soon.

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BM5: Carman (to) Ohio (State)? | Tate's turn - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Carman (to) Ohio (State)? | Tate's turn
247Sports
Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE. The BM5 is available on iTunes and more: * Click here to listen to the show via iTunes · * Click here to listen to the show ...

and more »

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KJ Hill embarking on breakout season for Buckeyes? (Full video) - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


KJ Hill embarking on breakout season for Buckeyes? (Full video)
247Sports
Third-year sophomore wide receiver K.J. Hill continues to emerge as one of the top players on Ohio State's offense. He also serves as the Buckeyes' primary punt returner. For Hill's thoughts on his role on the team, how he thinks he's performing, what ...


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Buckeyes QB points out irony of Ohio State's athletic department being worth $1.5 billion - SB Nation
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes QB points out irony of Ohio State's athletic department being worth $1.5 billion
SB Nation
On Thursday night, Ohio State back-up quarterback Joe Burrow pointed out the irony of NCAA rules compared to what athletic departments generate. Burrow tweeted a link that cited a recent Wall Street Journal piece that values OSU's athletic department ...
Ohio State, Oklahoma State settle trademark dispute, targeting calls increasing, Michigan claims kicker could ...cleveland.com
Ohio State and Oklahoma State reach agreement on OSU trademarkThe Columbus Dispatch
Photo Gallery: Prospects aplenty for OSU's first two games247Sports
Landof10.com
all 19 news articles »

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Shutout powers Buckeyes to sweep over Raiders - Athens Messenger (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Shutout powers Buckeyes to sweep over Raiders
Athens Messenger (registration)
Bostater served up 27 points in a row at one point during the Buckeyes' decisive sweep. Photo courtesy of Lori Fick. NELSONVILLE — Alexis Bostater joked that she may need to pay a visit to the trainer's room for some ice after Thursday's volleyball match.


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Preview: UNLV (1-1) at #10 Ohio State (2-1)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



The Ohio State Buckeyes will have another hometown showdown against the UNLV Rebels. They shut down the Army offense to hold them well below their average for rushing yards en route to a 38-7 victory after their defeat at the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The UNLV Rebels have rebounded well after losing their home opener to Howard, an FCS team. They had their offense flowing with a 44-16 victory over the Idaho Vandals. This week they will travel to Columbus for a date at the Shoe.

J.T. Barrett is coming off a successful and efficient game against an Army team that was no threat to them and overmatched. His next opponent UNLV will not go away quietly, but this game may get out of hand with the difference in overall talent.

Armani Rogers found passing lanes for 191 yards and a score through the air while carrying the ball for 86 yards for another touchdown. While Lexington Thomas and Devonte Boyd had a total of 293 total yards and 4 total touchdowns between the two as they steamrolled the helpless Vandal defense.

The Silver Bullets rebounded as well as they put the clamps on the Army rushing attack in the second half after the proper adjustments were made. This week they faced a more balanced attack that features a quick Running Back in Thomas and a playmaking receiver in Devonte Boyd. They will have to focus on these two players if they want to be successful in this game.

On the other hand, the Rebels defense will face some pretty good athletes on this Ohio State team. If the Buckeye Zone 6 can break away and make a few plays from all over the field, it will be a long day for their defensive players, but so far, the offense still has a few near major concerns.

This matchup will feature the 77th and the 90th ranked defenses in the nation in Total Defense. It is nothing to scoff about and 90th is expected with UNLV, but the bigger story will can the Buckeyes improve from 77th overall in the nation? Did they buy too much into their own hype when they were projected to be a preseason Top 10 Defense?

Prediction: 38-13 Ohio State defeats UNLV






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Five-star WR wants to take Ohio State official visit, Micah Parsons' situation and another visit for Florida prospect - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Five-star WR wants to take Ohio State official visit, Micah Parsons' situation and another visit for Florida prospect
Landof10.com
Two weeks ago Ohio State hosted Texas pledge Rondale Moore from Louisville, a prospect the Buckeyes like. But the nation's premier slot receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown from Santa Ana, Calif., continues saying he wants to visit the Buckeyes at some point ...
More on Alabama's pursuit of flipping nation's No. 3 dual-threat QB from Ohio StateSECcountry.com
Quarterback Emory Jones Discusses Commitment, Visits While Safety Pledge Josh Proctor Receives US Army Bowl ...Eleven Warriors
Take Two: Will it be Ohio State, Texas or LSU for Anthony Cook?Rivals.com (press release)

all 7 news articles »

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Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa has a bold prediction for Saturday’s game against UNLV
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The sophomore doesn’t see the UNLV offense finding much traction against the Buckeyes

“I think we’ll shut ‘em out, so we’ll see.”

-Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch


Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa has the utmost confidence in what the Buckeye defense will be able to do on Saturday against UNLV. After struggling during the first two weeks of the year, especially against the pass, Ohio State’s defense was able to gain some confidence last week when they shut down the Army triple-option attack.

UNLV’s offense has scored at least 40 points in their first two games this year, so calling for a shutout might be asking a little much. At least it’s likely we’ll see Ohio State’s defense enjoying themselves a little more this week, as Bosa said the triple-option isn’t fun to prep for or play against. UNLV’s spread offense will give Ohio State’s defenders a little more opportunity to showcase their speed and playmaking ability.

“I kind of knew I was going to be rotating in, but I didn’t know my role was going to be to that extent. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”

-Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland via Colin Hass-Hill, The Lantern


Even though Tuf Borland knew he was going to see some time against Army last week, I’m not sure even he thought he’d have quite the impact that he did. After Chris Worley injured his foot early in the game against the Black Knights, Borland’s number was called and the redshirt freshman didn’t disappoint, registering a team-high 12 tackles in the victory. The effort by the linebacker from Illinois earned him Ohio State’s defensive player of the game honors.

Not only did Borland have a standout performance in his first game with extended action, but he got to do so in front of his parents, who traveled in from Illinois to watch their son. The trips are nothing new for the Borland family though, as they did it all last year, even with Tuf being redshirted.

With their son Trevor still playing high school football in Illinois on Friday nights, the Borland family usually has to drive through the night to Columbus to make Tuf’s Buckeye games. Last week’s game was a little easier to get to because of the later start time, something they won’t have the luxury of with Saturday’s game against UNLV kicking off at noon. This trip could be even more exciting for the Borland family this week, as Chris Worley is questionable to play against the Rebels, which means Tuf could get his first start as a Buckeye.

“You’ve always got to be ready. You make one play and you may get the opportunity to get another and another. You’ve just got to be ready for your opportunities. You may get one. You may get seven. You never know.”

-Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News


There isn’t a group on Ohio State’s football team that has gotten more criticism over the past year than the Buckeye wide receivers. After struggling mightily against Oklahoma, last week the receivers were able to gain some confidence with a solid performance against Army.

There hasn’t been a receiver who has been able to step up and distance themselves from the rest of the group, as evidenced by the depth chart listing six starters at either wide receiver or H-back. Both Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill are leading Ohio State through three games with 15 catches each, but the majority of those have been short passes.

Ohio State is still looking for more of a threat down the field though. The Buckeyes are trying to use the short passing game to try and open up the passing game for the deep ball, but Ohio State still hasn’t been able to put it all together quite yet. There are signs of progress though, and another solid performance against UNLV could help to further what the Buckeyes are trying to do in the passing game.

“Oklahoma State agrees not to use “OSU” in connection with scarlet and gray, Buckeyes, Brutus, or other Ohio State signifiers.”

-Carrie Ghose, Columbus Business First


On Wednesday, Ohio State and Oklahoma State came to an agreement in a recent trademark dispute they have had over “OSU”. Both schools use the abbreviation, but Oklahoma State objected to Ohio State filing an apparel trademark in July.

Both schools will get to keep using “OSU”, with both agreeing not to use it with any colors, likenesses, or signifiers from the other university. Ohio State can’t use “OSU” with orange and black, Cowboys, or the mascot Pistol Pete, while Oklahoma State can’t use “OSU” with scarlet and gray, Buckeyes, or Brutus.

The two schools had a previous agreement in 1976, which allowed for both schools to profit off their trademarks on the OSU abbrevation for use in education and entertainment services, within specific geographic boundaries. Numerous changes, including with the invention of the internet and change in conference boundaries have made this agreement a little more blurry lately, which the new agreement will clear up.

Oregon State could not be reached for comment on this matter.

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UNLV is exactly the kind of opponent Ohio State needs in Week 4
Chad Peltier via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Strong rushing offense, bad defense: sounds like a good matchup for the Buckeyes.

UNLV is just the opponent that Ohio State needs in Week 4. The Runnin’ Rebels will give Ohio State’s offense plenty of opportunities to build on their record-setting performance against Army, but UNLV’s offense is a more traditional test for the Buckeye defense.

OK, it’s not that big of a test. But UNLV’s offense had a top-50 rushing attack last season and currently ranks 59th overall in the S&P+ rankings. So far, Ohio State’s defense has seen two extremely pass-heavy attacks (Indiana’s standard downs run rate is 122nd and Oklahoma’s is 105th) and a triple-option offense. Ohio State’s defense hasn’t really seen any offenses so far that are representative of their opponents for the rest of the season. And at least against bad opponents, UNLV has executed well, ranking second in the country in rushing success rate and scoring over 40 points per game.

But UNLV also lost to Howard, so...


UNLV’s offense is as solid as it is because they had 90% of 2016’s production returning.

When Ohio State has the ball

• The OSU rushing offense has jumped to third in rushing success rate (57.8%) after ranking 29th before the Army game. The passing game made an even more dramatic jump from 83rd (37.7%) to 43rd (45.9%).
• 2016 S&P+ rankings still weigh heavily into this season’s adjusted S&P+ numbers until they get phased out in a few weeks (any statistic with a “+” is opponent adjusted), but this is a really lopsided matchup: 9th vs. 126th. UNLV’s defense is the fifth-worst in the country right now. So don’t really watch Ohio State’s offensive numbers as a sign for how the offense is doing necessarily -- the more important things to watch will be qualitative. For instance, does Ohio State continue to run a high percentage of RPOs with the passes being mostly at or behind the line of scrimmage? Does Kevin Wilson start with inside runs and RPOs to spread the defense out horizontally, then take deep shots later in the game after the corners play tighter on the line? Is J.T. Barrett’s accuracy any better?
• I’ll set the over/under for J.K. Dobbins rushing attempts and yards at 12 and 150. This one could get out of hand quickly and I don’t think Meyer and Wilson will want to risk too much on Dobbins, who is their most consistently explosive player on offense right now. But UNLV’s defense was very bad against the run last year, and might only have decent rushing success rate (27th) and opportunity rate (57th) numbers this year because they played Howard and Idaho in their first two games. On the other hand, maybe it was addition by subtraction for the defense last season, since they lost 59% of their defensive production from 2016 (117th). Even if the defense has gotten better, the successful running plays they do allow are often big -- they rank 96th in rushing IsoPPP. That should mean a lot of big runs for Dobbins, who averages 8.3 highlight yards per opportunity.
• You’d also think the H-backs may get more involved in the run game this week. With Mike Weber sidelined for most of the first three weeks, the rushing offense hasn’t shown many explosive runners outside of Dobbins. For example, while Dobbins average a great 8.3 highlight yards per opportunity, Barrett averages 3.2, Antonio Williams is at 2.2, and Weber 2.5. Parris Campbell has only had 3 runs, but has averaged 9.3 highlight yards per opportunity. Expect him, and likely K.J. Hill, to get more touches this week.
• You would also expect Barrett and Haskins (maybe Burrow too?) to get plenty of work throwing the ball against a pass defense that was 107th in passing S&P+ last season. UNLV hasn’t allowed too many big pass plays (4 over 20 yards this season), so we might expect more of the horizontal throws until intermediate and deep passes open up.

When UNLV has the ball

• Ohio State has the third-most efficient rushing offense in the country after three games, going by opponent-unadjusted rushing success rate. Ranked one spot ahead of the Buckeyes? The Runnin’ Rebels (They have running in their name, how could they not?). UNLV has only played Howard and Idaho this season. But in those games, UNLV has been excellent on the ground, with a 61% success rate and ranking 10th in IsoPPP. They are 22nd in runs of 10 or more yards with 21, and tie Ohio State (16th) with 7 runs of 20+ yards. The defense hasn’t had to face a more traditional rushing offense so far this season — like I said earlier, Indiana and Oklahoma are among the least run-heavy offenses in the country on standard downs. This will be a good test of how disruptive the run defense can be. While UNLV has only allowed 9.5% of their runs to be stuffed (4th in the country), you would expect the Ohio State defensive line to really get after their run game and improve their 63rd ranking in stuff rate right now.
• UNLV’s big names to know are junior running back Lexington Thomas, who averages 9 yards per carry and has a 47.4% opportunity rate, and freshman quarterback Armani Rodgers, who averages 7.3 yards per carry and has an even better 54.2% rushing success rate. Essentially, these two power an extremely efficient rushing offense that is also highly explosive on the ground.
• 6’5 Armani Rodgers is great on the ground, and has performed well through the air too. Against Howard and Idaho, Rodgers has a 48.7% passing success rate (30th) and only one interception. Rodgers is also UNLV’s highest-rated player on their roster, having decommitted from Cal before signing day last year. His top receiving threat is senior Devonte Boyd, who has twice as many targets as anyone else on the team and more than 4 times as many receiving yards, but just a 38.5% success rate. He’s essentially a big-play machine, averaging 34.7 yards per catch after six catches, and will likely be the guy running deep who could actually challenge the Ohio State secondary. If Army can almost complete a long touchdown pass, then so can UNLV.

The 4 most important stats

1. Defensive rushing explosive ratio. UNLV’s offense lives on big plays on the ground — it will be a decent test for Ohio State’s defense.
2. Defensive rushing success rate. UNLV could run on even lesser opponents, but it shouldn’t be able to run on Ohio State. Still, UNLV runs on 77.7% of standard downs — 11th most in the country. Ohio State’s defense should thrive here.
3. Defensive passing explosive ratio. The secondary is clearly still a work in progress, so it’s not out of the question that the combination of Armani Rodgers and Devonte Boyd could lead to a long score.

Picks

• S&P+: Ohio State 49, UNLV 14, 98% winning percentage
• F/+: Ohio State by 36.2, 98.2% winning percentage
• Adj. S&P+: Ohio State by 52, 99.9% winning percentage
• The Power Rank: Ohio State by 28.9, 97% winning percentage
• My pick: Ohio State 52, UNLV 14

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BuckeyeKid789 said:

I don't like Bono's music but atleast he stands for good causes while that annoying diva, Celine Dion, thinks she's the best thing to happen to music. I also hate that ugly bastard, Rod Stewart.

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How fast? How far? Chips inside the NFL’s new footballs track every last stat



Are you ready for some football … tracking? The NFL has placed coin-sized radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips from Zebra Technologies inside footballs for every game this season to provide a deeper dive into statistics, information the league has never effectively captured. The advanced stats the NFL will collect from players and footballs could be used in fantasy football — but the NFL tracking footballs might not be as dramatic as some might hope.

The RFID chips in the footballs will track data such as velocity, rotation, ball speed, and location. Traditionally, an 80-yard pass attributed to a quarterback could have resulted from a 10-yard pass followed by 70 yards of running after the catch by the receiver. With chips in footballs, the NFL can more accurately track how many yards the ball was thrown before it was caught. The days of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton’s stats hiding behind his star wide receiver A.J. Green’s elite speed could be numbered.
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For the past three years, Zebra has placed its chips on players’ shoulder pads, on referees, and on first-down measuring sticks to cull information for the league’s Next Gen Stats initiative, which was started in 2013 to deliver more in-depth stats. When Adrian Peterson rushed for an 80-yard touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in 2015, Zebra’s chips in his shoulder pads revealed what his max speed was during the run. While these chips have been used to produce highly detailed and stylized highlight reels, they have mostly helped the NFL in ways the average fan would not think twice about.

Entire article: https://sports.yahoo.com/fast-far-chips-inside-nfl-170311160.html?src=rss

High School Wrestling: Another Jordan headed to Ohio State - Springfield News Sun
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


High School Wrestling: Another Jordan headed to Ohio State
Springfield News Sun
Rocky will be the third Jordan brother to wrestle for the Buckeyes. In March, oldest brother Bo was NCAA runner-up while Micah earned All-American status for the Buckeyes. Bo will be a senior this season, Micah a junior. Rocky claimed his state title ...

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